After reviewing theories about how women are likely to fare as a result of economic development, the editors and their contributors focus on the socioeconomic status of women and changes in it as a result of processes of economic development in individual countries in five continents. Economic development is supposed to remove impediments to the improvement in women's status. In some developing countries researchers have found that instead of lessening the forces of restrictions, economic development may, in fact, have strengthened them. The editors call for a greater involvement of women as active participants in the process of dismantling social, legal, and institutional barriers to women's development.

The rapid development of Asian countries has met with mixed reactions among economists. Most economists understand that a genuine development is underway; but, since the process has been a complex one, each has been able to apply favorite explanations to the situation. In Eastern Asia, regional interdependence has been important to developing countries. This work discusses the interaction between the regional economies through trade and foreign direct investment, relating interaction to economic growth and development.

After reviewing theories about how women are likely to fare as a result of economic development, the editors and their contributors focus on the socioeconomic status of women and changes in it as a result of processes of economic development in individual countries in five continents. Economic development is supposed to remove impediments to the improvement in women's status. In some developing countries researchers have found that instead of lessening the forces of restrictions, economic development may, in fact, have strengthened them. The editors call for a greater involvement of women as active participants in the process of dismantling social, legal, and institutional barriers to women's development.

Since women account for almost 50 percent of the world's population, the sustainability of development of the global economy can be greatly impaired if the state authorities in individual countries pay less attention to the improvement in the socio-economic status of women relative to men. Improvement in socio-economic status which facilitates empowerment of individuals is greatly dependent on conducive informal institutions and state institutions. This book is the first of its kind to critically examine the role of these institutions in women's empowerment in five continents in the world. The analysis of the role of institutions in individual countries is underpinned by a robust theoretical background presented in the first three chapters. The chapters on individual countries also include a section dealing with recommendations for changes in state policies affecting women's empowerment.